Spotted urchin orchid facts for kids

The spotted urchin orchid (scientific name: Bryobium dischorense) is a special type of orchid. It often grows on other plants or rocks, not in the soil. This orchid forms clumps and has thick, oval-shaped stems called pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb has one thin leaf. It produces beautiful cup-shaped flowers that are cream or white with red spots. You can find this orchid in New Guinea and Queensland, Australia.

What the Spotted Urchin Orchid Looks Like

The spotted urchin orchid is a plant that grows in dense groups. It can grow on other plants (this is called epiphytic) or on rocks (this is called lithophytic).

Stems and Leaves

This orchid has oval-shaped stems called pseudobulbs. These pseudobulbs are about 30 to 40 millimeters (1.2 to 1.6 inches) long. They are also about 13 to 17 millimeters (0.5 to 0.7 inches) wide. When they are young, these pseudobulbs are covered with thin, papery brown leaves called bracts. Each pseudobulb has one thin, but strong, leaf. This leaf is shaped like a narrow oval or an egg. It can be 70 to 135 millimeters (2.8 to 5.3 inches) long. The leaf is also about 30 to 35 millimeters (1.2 to 1.4 inches) wide.

Flowers

The spotted urchin orchid produces between four and eight flowers on a single stem. This flowering stem is about 40 to 80 millimeters (1.6 to 3.1 inches) long. The flowers are cup-shaped and are usually cream or whitish in color. They have a few red spots on them. Each flower is about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide.

The flower has different parts:

• The dorsal sepal (the top part) is about 6 to 7 millimeters long and 3 millimeters wide.
• The lateral sepals (the side parts) are similar in length but wider, about 5 to 6 millimeters wide.
• The petals are about 4 to 5 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide.
• The labellum (a special lip-like petal) stands upright and is curved. It is about 6 millimeters long and 5 millimeters wide. It has three parts, called lobes. The two side lobes are large and stand up. The middle lobe is short and points downwards.

This orchid usually blooms from October to December.

How the Spotted Urchin Orchid Got Its Name

The spotted urchin orchid was first officially described in 1912. A scientist named Rudolf Schlechter gave it the name Eria dischorensis. Later, in 2002, two other scientists, Mark Clements and David Jones, changed its name to Bryobium dischorense.

The second part of its scientific name, dischorense, comes from where the first plant of this type was found. Rudolf Schlechter said it was found in a place he called the Dischore Range. Today, this area is known as the Bowutu Range. The ending -ense is a Latin word part that means "from a place" or "from a country."

Where the Spotted Urchin Orchid Lives

The spotted urchin orchid mostly grows on trees in rainforests. You can find it in New Guinea and in the Whitfield Range, which is in Queensland, Australia.